Alenia Aermacchi was again displaying its Sky-Y at Farnborough – a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Technologies Demonstrator – which first flew in June 2007.
Sky-Y has an all-composite structure, all-electric systems and a 160 HP diesel engine of automotive derivation giving it up to 14 hours’ endurance.
It is a dedicated platform for validating several key enabling technologies for a surveillance Unmanned Aerial System to be used in either a military and civil operational scenario. These include: innovative carbon fibre composite construction, heavy fuel/JP-8 engine, advanced data-links, surveillance sensor (EO/IR, Hyper-spectral, Synthetic Aperture Radar) and mission management system able to relevant data treatment, elaboration, fusion and distribution by means of an interoperable Tactical Control Station.
The Sky-Y is the system test-bed for Alenia Aeronautica MALE product, now in early development. Sky-Y is also the starting point for Molynx, the research project that aims to develop a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) system for civil and military applications.